Damien Williams vs. Khalil Herbert: Which Bears RB Takes Over with David Montgomery Out?
By Ben Heisler
One of the few bright spots in the Chicago Bears' gloomy season outlook has just gone dark for the next several weeks.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano reports that Bears running back David Montgomery will miss the next 4-5 weeks with a knee sprain that he suffered in their Week 4 24-14 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Per source, tests showed Bears RB David Montgomery has a knee sprain that’s expected to keep him out 4-5 weeks. Not season-ending, but Bears will be without their starting RB for a while.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) October 5, 2021
Losing Montgomery could be a potential disaster for Chicago. Montgomery ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards to start the year, despite playing behind a bottom-five ranked offensive line and the Bears' offense ranks dead last in the NFL in points scored and total yards per game.
Meanwhile, Vegas has little to no faith in Chicago's chances this season despite their 2-2 start. WynnBET Sportsbook has the Bears' win total still set at 6.5, and their division odds in the NFC North at +1200.
Tarik Cohen also remains out as he recovers from an ACL injury. With Montgomery officially on the shelf, let's evaluate which running back will take over the bulk of the snaps.
. #DaBears will need more special teams help with Montgomery sidelined for 4-5 weeks. Khalil Herbert is likely to see more offensive snaps (less ST snaps) & reports are Artavis Pierce returning too.
— Bear Goggles On (@BearGogglesOn) October 5, 2021
This probably means Tarik Cohen isn't close to being ready either. #Bears https://t.co/s0dQOHJLRk
Who Will Be the Bears Featured RB: Damien Williams or Khalil Herbert?
Williams is the most logical choice, given his connection to Matt Nagy during their time in Kansas City as well as his familiarity with his offense. When given the opportunity to be the lead back during the Chiefs' Super Bowl run in 2020, Williams maximized his chances.
.@Chiefs RB Damien Williams’ had SIX TDs in the #NFLPlayoffs.
— NFL (@NFL) February 4, 2020
That's the most EVER by an UDFA in the Super Bowl era. ? #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/3k6B2PzOga
Last week vs. the Lions, Williams got 30% of the snaps for the game, compared to just 4.2% for Herbert.
Williams was also much more efficient in his opportunities, running 8 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching two passes for 15 yards.
The only reason why Herbert would also be considered in a timeshare is Williams' durability concerns. He's never started more than six games in an NFL season since entering the league in 2014. Williams opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, but even with fresh legs this year, it wouldn't surprise to see Herbert still get about 30 to possibly even 40% of the snaps.
The former Virginia Tech star led the ACC in all-purpose yards in 2020 and got scooped up by Chicago in the sixth Round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chicago also only carried three running backs on their active roster, leading fans to believe the amount of confidence they have in the rookie.
Ultimately, Williams will get the first crack to deliver, but I expect Herbert to end up having more volume purely as a runner, with Williams likely coming on for more passing and pass block situations.
Chicago travels to Las Vegas to take on the 3-1 Raiders this week.